FCT CJ frees 35 inmates to decongest Nasarawa custodial centre

The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, has discharged no fewer than 35 inmates awaiting trial across the two custodial centres in the Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Reports has it that Baba-Yusuf discharged the inmates during a visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi on Tuesday.

The intervention facilitated by the Public and Private Development Centre, a Non-Governmental Organisation, saw to the release of the 35 inmates, who included 33 males and two females.

One of the males, Mohammed Abdullahi, was discharged after being incarcerated for a year without a single appearance in any court in Nigeria.

In an interview with newsmen shortly after the exercise, the Chief Judge said the essence of the prison visit was to ensure that those who are not supposed to be in the facility are allowed to go free.

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“Today, we have been able to set free 35 people who have no business being here, and that is a huge boost,” he said.

He explained that the exercise would be a routine one to ensure that people are not allowed to suffer unnecessarily in custody when they should not be there.

Baba-Yusuf said, “Some of those we have set free are those who are not well, people who have been here unnecessarily for a long time and people who have not been cited for any genuine offence.

“This will continue to be a routine thing to ensure that the rights of our citizens are guaranteed and well catered for.”

He also noted that all other inmates facing one delay or the other in the conclusion of their cases have been assured that their cases will be attended to, and new dates given to them to appear in court.

“We have rectified all that, and dates have been given to all those who are involved in that category. I have also given directive to the Director in charge of the magistrates to do oversight functions on some of these courts whenever the matters come to the courts so that we ensure that the proceedings of the courts runs smoothly.

“Magistrates handling cases in the FCT courts have also been chastised to improve on case management strategy so that trials of the cases run expeditiously and inmates are able to know their fate,” the Chief Judge added.

Also speaking, Programs Officer at the Public and Private Development Centre, Cynthia Onyeka, appreciated the Chief Judge for taking out time to visit the custodial centres so as to set free those who are not supposed to be there and also decongest the centres.

She added, “This is because in Nigeria, we have a high rate of anti trial detentions and this has led to overcrowded custodial centres across Nigeria. So, this activity presents an opportunity for the Chief Judge to come to the custodial centres in an effort to decongest the system.”

She further explained that the PPDC supported the exercise because it wants the Nigeria’s justice system to be fair and transparent, and for all Nigerians to have access to justice including the vulnerable who cannot afford legal representation.

“For activities like this, when we come, we support the Chief Judge by paying fines and today, we were able to pay fines amounting to N1.5 Million to support the releases of some persons just to ensure that the numbers in the custodial centres reduce,” she said.

In another interview, the Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers, Abuja Branch, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, while expressing gratitude to the Chief Judge for showing mercy to the released inmates, thanked the PPDC and other Non-governmental Organisations for regularly paying fines for the release of inmates especially the female inmates who for one reason or the other cannot pay the fines and compensatory orders sanctioned by the courts.

Earlier in his remarks, the Officer in Charge of the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre, Sumaila Bulus, thanked the FCT Chief Judge for the visit and the release of some inmates which according to him will help decongest the facility which is currently occupied by 667 inmates.

He further pleaded for logistics support, most especially in transporting inmates from the custodial centres to courts in the FCT, adding that the two working vehicles available in the facility were no longer enough to transport the inmates for their courts appearances.

On August 12, 2025, it was reported that sixteen inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State after breaching the facility’s security.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, the inmates reportedly overpowered personnel on duty during the breakout.

Five officers were injured in the incident, with two currently (as of the time of this report) in serious condition and receiving treatment at a government hospital.

Seven of the escaped inmates have since been recaptured, while efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the remaining nine.